MINI is showing up at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 with a very special EV concept: the MINI Superleggera Vision. This open-top two-seater EV was created by MINI and Touring Superleggera, the tradition-steeped design and coach building house based in Milan. MINI stated the Superleggera Vision is on the one hand a classic roadster, […]

MINI is working to finish a two-seat concept small car that it will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March. The car will be an update of an existing concept that first appeared in Geneva in 1997 as the MINI Spiritual. The vehicle’s styling is expected to be the first showing of a revitalized […]

BMW has officially joined the electric car parade with the announcement of the limited edition MINI E car for production. This zero-emission EV, based on the MINI Cooper platform, will get its power from a 150 kilowatt electric motor tied to a newly-developed high-power lithium-ion battery. “This is yet another example of the company’s overall […]

Tesla Motors won a waiver for its all-electric Roadster on Monday from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulators. NHTSA recognized that Tesla might be forced to cancel all pending projects and go out of business, if the California electric vehicle company was required to meet federal air bag standards. Tesla’s $43 million operating losses […]

Tesla Motors announced yesterday, May 22, that it has paid off the entire loan awarded to the company by the Department of Energy in 2010. In addition to payments made in 2012 and Q1 2013, Tesla said May 22′s wire of almost half a billion dollars ($451.8M) repays the full loan facility with interest. According […]

Commenting last Friday on Facebook about Fisker’s expected bankruptcy, Sarah Palin lumped in other projects that have been smiled upon by the Obama administration, and called the Chevy Volt and Tesla “losers.” On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk answered via Twitter that he was “deeply wounded.” The exchange via social media outlets has been seen […]

After a few years of subdued displays, this year’s Detroit auto show is an opportunity to demonstrate that the auto industry is fully back on its feet. Expect bigger displays from General Motors, Ford and others. It’s the first time in four years that Porsche will appear at the show. And while the smart money […]

Craneway Pavilion Every major global automaker, without exception, is making a shift to hybrids, electric cars, and alternative fuels. Not because it was their idea. They were forced in that direction by a growing group of passionate consumers fed up with the status quo of petroleum dependence. When carmakers didn’t move fast enough, these consumer-activists […]

One of the most important issues facing the electric car industry is the basic question of how to measure and list a trustworthy driving range. That issue is a hot topic on PluginCars.com, with experienced EV drivers weighing in. Nick Chambers launched the discussion with a post about the real-world range of electric cars—not just […]

First Published November 1, 2009 Contents Plug-in Cars Finally Arrive Hybrid Sales Return to Growth New Models & Entrants The Prius Evolves The first hybrid gas-electric car in the United States, the original Honda Insight, reported its first 17 sales in December 1999. One decade and 1.5 million hybrids later, the auto industry is ready […]